Crashing Waves, Burning Flames
by Game-Start
Summary: Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika have all set sail to travel to a tournament when they're trip is interrupted by a brewing storm and unusually large fish. Gon and Killua get thrown off the ship by the waves, landing on an island's beach, while Kurapika and Leorio crash elsewhere with the ship. What will happen when the troupe reunites? And what secrets dose the island hold?
1. A Stormy Night

After settling in for the night and everyone drifted off to sleep, Gon tossed and turned around in his bed, unable to calm his mind. He sat up and looked around the darkness of the sleeping quarters. His body felt a surge of energy, and he could no longer keep himself still. Gon leaped out of his bed, and jumped onto the bunk above his own. "Killua! Killua, are you asleep?" Killua was completely covered by his blanket, making him look like pile of pillows at first glance. "Killua!" Gon whispered. The snowy haired boy didn't wake from his slumber, and pushed his arms outwards towards Gon to push him away. Gon sat on the edge of Killua's bunk pouting, wondering why his voice wasn't able to wake his best friend up. Then in a split second, Gon hopped over onto Killua and sat on him, smiling and snickering. He fixed himself over his friend's body with one leg on each respective. "Kil-" Gon was interrupted by Killua shooting straight up in his bed and nailing Gon with an unintentionally rough headbutt. "Who's there?" said Killua in a panicked tone. Upon realizing it was Gon who was sitting on him, Killua laughed and slightly pushed on his friend so he would no longer be acting as a cushion. Gon rubbed his chin and smiled back at Killua. Gon moved his body side to side like a metronome, humming. Killua mimicked him and asked, "So, what did you wake me up for? It's really late you know."

Gon giggled and reached his hand out towards Killua's face. He touched the tip of the white-haired boy's nose. "You're it!" shouted Gon with enthusiasm in his voice. He then proceeded to jump down from the bunk and dash out of the sleeping quarters. Killua hopped down from his bed quietly and followed his rambunctious friend. The two ran around nearly every inch of the boat's lower compartments before eventually making their way up to the deck. Gon was standing right in the middle of the galley's doors that lead to the deck, causing Killua to bump into him at full running momentum and fall backwards. "Hey Gon! What are you standing there for?!" Gon looked out onto the ship's deck, eyes filled to the brim with amazement. He raised his arms into the air and charged out right into the middle of a brewing storm. The waves crashed loudly against each other, spilling water onto the wooden flooring. Killua ran after Gon onto the deck, and tackled him from behind to the ground, laughing. "Haha! Now you're it!" Gon's face was covered in water by the impact on the ground thanks to Killua's action. Gon flipped over onto his back while still under Killua, and unintentionally forcefully kicked Killua off of his body. Killua was launched into the air, only to quickly fall back to the boat's deck with a smile on his face. He really hadn't stopped smiling since Gon woke him up. Being able to be a playful kid again caused him to feel ecstatic. Killua rose to his feet and chased after Gon who'd already started running around one of the masts as the icy-cold droplets falling from the sky splashed against his face. "I'm gonna get you for that!" said Killua.

Just as the boys started one of their many usual play sessions, the ship crashed into a harsh wave, causing it to almost flip on it's side. The boy of the clung onto the mast Gon was circling, and locked their hands in place with each other so neither of them went sliding anywhere. Crates and cargo on the ship slid all to one side, somehow avoiding falling into the churning torrents in the ocean below. Gon scanned the ocean for anything out of the unusual, but couldn't find anything. His body's reflex senses were elevated and ready to jump at anything that came hurdling his or Killua's way. Thankfully the boat settled back flat enough for the two to let go of the mast and the two calmed their nerves. One of the ship's pilots tried veering the ship out of the torrents in order to avoid a whirlpool, but in doing so caused the boys to go flying back towards the galley. The pilot had previously been asleep with Gon and Killua first came onto the deck, and was frazzled by the raging storm, not having a level head veered in every direction except for the one that could drive them away from the gushing waves, causing Killua and Gon to be more like bean bags than humans. Slowly the boys manage to gain their balance and venture back out onto the deck. "Gon, grab my hand." said Killua. Gon looked puzzled at first, wondering why Killua wanted him to grab his hand, but then figured out it was in case they did go overboard, it was so they could stay together and find a way back as a team. Being alone in the midst of a brutal storm was not exactly ideal.

A few minutes passed and Leorio came running up to the deck as well, in the kind of panicked way you do when somebody screams in your ears to wake you up. Behind him was Kurapika, calm and composed as if he'd never went to sleep. The two of them copied Gon and Killua's lead by joining hands with each other. Just as the four of them faced each other to talk, a gigantic fish leaped over the boat, bringing a waterfall of water with it. Gon looked dumbfounded after the fish returned to the ocean. "How could I not tell it was there?" asked Gon. Puzzled, he stared out at the raging waves, listening closely for the fish's movements to know when it would be jumping again, if it ever did. The ship's pilot veered the boat harshly to the right, shouting the word, "Land!" The four on the deck turned towards the direction the pilot was shouting in, and did indeed see an island in the horizon. Kurapika recognized it and appeared to be slightly worried at crashing into it. "What's wrong?" asked Leorio in a slurred and tired tone. Kurapika stepped forward to stand beside of Killua and Gon, dragging Leorio with him. "That island has no name other than The Depraved Haven. Many people have ventured to that island, but none of them have returned. If we end up there, I fear what lies ahead of us." said Kurapika. At the end of his statement, Gon jumped into the air, pulling Killua with him, and grabbed onto the mast once again. "Lay down! The fish is coming back!" shouted Gon. Leorio and Kurapika listened and flattened themselves against the ships soaked deck. Sure enough, the fish charged at the boat, causing it to spin in the waters. The pilot quickly steered the boat back on course for the island. Gon and Killua slide down the ship's mast. After landing, Killua took off at a breakneck speed back into the boat and straight to their sleeping quarters to retrieve the group's belongings, and runs back. All four of them carried their luggage on their back, and braced for a crash against the island's shores.

The waves only got bigger and harsher, rocking the boat from side to side. The winds ripped through the sails like razors, and water pushed itself over the sides of the boat. Thankfully they neared the island, it now being within swimming distance, but before Gon could warn the group about the coming charge form the large fish, it had already hit the boat and nearly flipped it on it's side. Gon and Killua went flying off of the boat and landed among the raging torrents near a rocky cliff. Leorio and Kurapika managed to stay on the boat as the pilot once again steadied it. The ship was quickly over-taken by the waves and out of Killua and Gon's sight.

While holding tightly onto Gon's hand, Killua noticed his head hit a rock and managed to knock the extremely resilient boy out. Killua pulled Gon closer to his body in spite of the current trying to pull them under, and swam as fast and hard as he could for the beach. The water's were viscous and savage, trying with all it's might to take the two boy's as it's trophies, but Killua managed to pull himself and Gon onto the sandy shores. After reaching the beach, Killua continued to walk forward, carrying Gon and their luggage the best he could. How the luggage stayed on their backs is a mystery. Eventually Killua's body gave out on him, and the young boy fell over into the dry, soft sand. Laying with Gon on his back, Killua caught his breath and rested for a moment. It seemed as if the storm only tormented the waters, since not a single drop of rain pelted the land. Slowly, Killua moved Gon off of his back and moved his friend over onto his own back, arms and legs stretched out for a more comfortable position. The sky was dark and haunting. Something in the air didn't fell quite right. Killua sat up, pulled his knees up to his chest, and rested his head on them, eyes closed. Once again he found himself in deep though, questioning his own strength. __

My body, it gave out on me. I could have carried Gon farther! I could have carried him to a tree high off the ground, away from anything that would attack us. I was barely able to bring him here. All this time. All this training. And for what? I haven't gotten any stronger. What kind of a friend am I?! He deserves so much better than me. He's, a wonderful person. I've never seen that much kindness in someone. I know, I don't have to be cold to survive. And I trust Gon as if he were my own brother. Maybe even more than that. But, for some reason I still feel like I could give him more. I could try harder. What's wrong with me? Why can't I just, be more for him? I don't think, he'll ever understand how much he means to me. I couldn't tell him thank you enough times for saving me from that darkness. I need to be stronger. I need to fight harder. I need-

Killua's thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of two hands around the size of his own being planted onto his shoulder. The second those hands touched him, warmth filled his body. His doubts in himself vanished. He felt, at peace. Killua slowly opened his eyes to see who'd calmed him, and to no surprise it was none other than Gon, with a bright smile on his face. "Wow that was an interesting trip wasn't it, Killua? Now we have a whole island to explore! It's gonna be so cool! No one's come back alive to tell about it, so let's be the first to!" said Gon. Killua felt himself wanting to cry, but no tears found their way to his eyes. Instead, a weak smile took over his face as he asked, "Gon. Can I ask you something? Why, are you so nice to me? I, I could be so much more. Don't you think so too?" Gon pulled Killua into a warm embrace and answered him. "Killua, you're my best friend! You're perfect the way you are and I wouldn't change anything about you! I could rarely get people to play with me, or go exploring in the woods with me back home on Whale Island, so you mean a lot to me! You brought me all the way here didn't you? The last thing I remember seeing is the sky as we fell into the water. So thank you, Killua! We're friends, and always will be." said Gon. He let go of Killua and stood up, full of vigor and excitement. Gon extended his hand out to Killua and helped him to stand. With an intense burst of energy, Gon started to run forward and said, "Now come on! Let's go explore this island!"


	2. Deep Forest Encounter

Gon charged ahead into the dense forest spread out before them, with Killua following closely behind. The farther they traversed into the forest, the darker it became. Gon stopped, causing Killua to once against run into his back and fall backwards. Killua quickly gathered himself and stood up, asking, "What is it this time?" Gon turned around and covered Killua's mouth with his right hand, and held his pointer finger up with his left hand, signaling for Killua to be quiet. In the silence of the night, a faint ringing sound could be heard. The same ringing of bells identical to those of a church bell's tolling after a funeral. Gon uncovered Killua's mouth, and the two traveled onward slowly into the seemingly never-ending environment. Both of the grew cautious of their surroundings, and made sure not to step on any twigs or leaves, minimizing the sound they created.

After a few minutes of walking, a thick fog rolled through the forest, being so thick that Killua could barely see Gon in front of him. Too keep track of each other, Killua grabbed onto the bottom of Gon's shirt. The ringing bells grew louder and louder, and the ground grew shakier. Gon stopped in his tracks, and bent his legs as if he were about to jump somewhere. "What's wrong?" Killua asked, quietly. But in his gut, he could feel the same thing Gon was feeling. Something huge was heading their way, but neither could figure out what the creature was. In a split second, they were dangling from a gigantic hand made of bone. The entire island could be seen from the view they now had, and the bells rang loud enough to resonate through their bodies, causing them to vibrate uncontrollably. A ghastly moan accompanied the bells as the enormous skeletal hand raised the boys higher into the air. Gazing out upon the island's horizon, flames could be seen flickering under the blanket of the night. Ashes gushed out from the flames like a geyser, and the smell of rotten flesh grew strong. The skeletal hand's grip on the boys surpassed any amount of strength a human could posses, and they were unable to break free. An intense heat came from behind them. Not that of a raging flame, but more like a heat built up inside of a stove. Both of the boys turned their heads to face the heat, and were greeted with a giant skeletal mouth, open and ready to devour them. The creature that had captured them was none other than a gashadokuro, a creature thought of to only be a myth. Gon had heard of this creature before from Mito, but didn't believe they actually existed because he spent nearly his entire childhood exploring all that Whale Island had to offer, and he never encountered one. Mito always told him to carry a Shinto charm in case a situation like this were to arise. Both Gon and Killua looked at each other, and instantly knew what the other was thinking. "1..." said Gon. "2..." said Killua. "3!" said the boys simultaneously. The hand's gripped loosened as the beast was ready to bite, and the two boys pushed their bodies forward enough to leap inside of the monster's body, reaching for the vertebrae that formed it's neck.

Together they latched onto the creature's spine and steadied their footing. Gon pulled a Shinto charm from his pocket and handed it to Killua, while having one of his own wrapped around his other hand. "The only way to kill it, is by attaching these charms to each side of it's heart. It's flames feel hot, but they can't burn our skin. So when we attach the charms, just jump straight through them. I'll take the front, since I believe I can handle climbing down the rib cage better then you can." explained Gon. Situations like this one are what proved the kind of genius the simple-minded boy possessed. No matter the situation, Gon always remained calm and in control of himself, a trait that Killua admired due to his own issues with self control. Gon was always able to keep him grounded. The assassin agreed to Gon's plan, and the two parted ways to travel deeper inside of the monster. Killua slowly traveled down the gashadokuro's spine, using it as a typed of ladder. Wind rushed towards him from where it's lung would normally be if it were alive, and a blood curdling scream rang throughout his ears. That scream was unmistakable. It belonged to Alluka. A million thoughts ran through Killua's mind.

_Alluka? Here? No. No she can't be. She wasn't on the ship. Nobody was returned from this island right? And she's obvioulsy alive. I would know if she passed away. But how, how did I hear her scream? There's no mistaking it. Did. Did this thing eat her? Why why why?_

The mix of emotions exploding in Killua's mind were brought to a spot by the sound of his best friend's voice. "Some gashadokuro are able to manipulate your mind and make you weak, so please be careful, Killua!" shouted Gon. How could something like that have never crossed his mind? Of course manipulation could be used, but with Alluka thrown into the fire, everything changed. Gon carefully dropped from rib to rib, splintering his hands more every time he did so. After dropping down far enough, he started making his way towards the creatures sternum that shielded it's heart. Gon hopped away from the ribs and onto the sternum, maintaining a grip strength that mimicked that of most silver-back gorillas. He turned his head to the right, trying to peek around the creature's burning heart to see if Kulla was ready and in position. Sure enough, he was. "Killua!" he shouted, "When I say jump, cling to it's heart and force the charm through it until it touches mine! Ready... and... jump!" in an instant, both of them were hanging onto the gashadokuro's heart, squinting their eyes because of the purple flame's intense light. It felt hot, but didn't burn their skin of clothing. They both pressed their charms against the source of the raging flames, and heard the monster roar loudly in pain. It shook around wildly where it stood, trying to break itself free of the actions happening inside of it's chest. Trees cracked and crumbled, grass died on contact with the monster's feet. Birds flew around recklessly, not being able to keep track of where the rest of the flock had went. Both Gon and Killua forced their hands to meet inside of the gashadokuro, and pressed the two charms together. When the charms met, the supernatural being disintegrated, and the two boys fell to the ground, landing right in the middle of a huge patch of moss. Their breath was heavy, and bodies tired. The amount of Nen one has to use in order to not be burned by the creatures flames is almost impossible, but because of their intense training, Gon and Killua managed to survive the ordeal. What Gon said was true, it's flames can't kill you. But it can burn your skin off and damage your internal organs. An average person who has no control over their mind's capabilities would have died instantly, as they would have never heard the bells ring as a warning.

Together they started at the sky, watching as the souls of those used to create the beast floated away. The spirits all praised the boys for their heroic actions, bravery, and thanked them for their newly found freedom. Gon smiled and waved goodbye to the dearly departed, while Killua looked over at Gon with the usual warm smile he possessed while in Gon's company. More and more times occurred where Killua found himself staring at Gon, but what else would he do? Gon was his first friend, and everything he done amazed him. So many times he asked if he deserved to have such a kind-hearted friend, only to be reassured by Gon with that strong push of his. Another creature could be added to their index of being defeated, and now lives were saved. "Hey, Killua! That was really fun don't you think? And those ghosts seemed happy too! I've heard stories of how those monsters are created. It has something to do with people that starved." said Gon. Killua rolled onto his side and faced Gon. "Maybe there is witched somewhere near by! I wonder if they'll teach us how to make potions?" said Killua. Gon responded, "Or maybe they'll show us how to fly on a broom! I tried one time with one of Mito-san's brooms but got stuck in the ceiling when I jumped." Both of them laughed and rolled around in the moss, causing their clothes and faces to get dirty.

After resting for a while and competing in games of rock-paper-scissors, Gon and Killua decided to continue heading farther inland in search of Leorio and Kurapika. The moss they were now standing on stretched was connected between the trees of the forest, like a make-shift bridge with fallen logs and rock platforms as the backbone. Gon extended his arms outwards horizontally and dashed forward from their location towards an apparent clearing that was floored by another large patch of moss, followed by Killua doing the same. Both of the boys mimicked the sounds of an airplane as they ran. As soon as Gon stepped onto the new patch of moss, a net trap pulled him high into the air, leaving Killua on the ground. "Hot diggity dog!" a voice shouted, "I gots me a dinner tonight!" An old man who was barely more than skin and bones emerged from below the mossy bed. "H-Hey old man! That's not your dinner, that's my friend, Gon!" shouted Killua. The old man danced around under the net Gon was trapped him, and cheerfully sang words neither of the boys could understand. The old man suddenly stopped, realizing that what he had trapped was indeed a young boy, and not an animal. He tossed a knife into the air, cutting the rope that held Gon in the net, and laughed as Killua tried to catch Gon, which only resulted in Gon laying on top of Killua. After regaining a standing position, Gon looked at the old man with a certain kind of enthusiastic fire in his eyes.

Gon raised his hands in the air and shouted, "My name is Gon Freecss! What's your name mister?" The old man stopped dancing, and stared intensely at Gon. The man snapped his fingers and smiled. "You're Ging's son aren'tcha' boy? There's no mistaking that energy about ya. I knew that man when was your age boy! Taught all he knows about trapping things and animal migration patterns." Gon's eyes widened with excitement, and his hands flailed around widely. "You knew him? You knew papa?! And taught him about traps? Teach me! Please! Please! Please!" Killua looked at Gon with a blank expression. He thought Gon already knew quite a bit about traps, having spent so much time outdoors when he was younger. But, he decided a little fun couldn't hurt. The old man looked at Killua and shuddered slightly. He noticed there was something, slightly cold about him but didn't address it. He turned back to Gon and clapped his hands together. "Alright youngin', I'll teach the both of ya's just how I taught Ging. By throwing him in the traps and telling him to find a way out! Then ya's can make your own."


End file.
